Step12.com

[Rebos]

To whom might have the answer,
I have 30 days now, this time around. I have been praying, and staying in my litature. I am doing good for the day. Some things have pushed on me today. But I managed to keep my sanity and stay sober. My question is this: Will the urge and desire to use every leave me for good?
Hoping and praying it will,
Rebos

[Ranman99]

Hey Rebos, here's my story. I can't predict where it will go but I have experienced where it has been.

For many years I knew of AA and I passed through it and did bits and pieces of this and that but still held the Universe fully revolving around me.

As I continued to get beaten up (by the booosshh) I eventually started to hand over more and work it more but I was what some refer to as the chronic slipper. Even on dry pavement

However as I approach 11 months for the first time in my life for no reason that I can explain I have not had a single craving to drink. It was lifted the day I took my last drink (which was three days after I lost my last job and probably the closest I have ever come so far from loosing my life directly related to consumption) and has not returned. I do not know why and I do not really care it just is. Will it come back perhaps. But every month I have been learning new things so I guess I am now a little more teachable. Every month I get a sense that it may never return but that is not for me to know.

Now I still get bent out of shape but it is usually more about my thinking Go figure eh?

I still phone my sponsor as soon as I'm wacked out about something everything else has still been there and had to be dealt with you know anger, guilt, thy will and not mine etc. etc. but no craving.

The closest I had was when a peron at my apartment told me about two young folks that had snuck in and drank vodka by our pool and went swimming amongst other behaviour. I distinctly remember the sense of ya that sounds like a gas . But I recoiled from the tought of the drink in fact it really didn't get to a thought that I would call a craving more like a fond memory of the times when it did work if you like.

Any way enough rant for the day;
Take Care,

[Dallas]

All I can say, is that the desire and the thoughts of drinking and using have left me. It's been a really long time since I've had one of those thoughts. But, then again, on the other side of the same coin of an idea -- every day has been a day, that I've thought of drinking an using.

The difference is: The thoughts I have about it today are different. I remind myself how wonderful it is to be sober, and I remind myself, that it would only take "one"... to send me back to the hell that I left.

Once you get through the steps and have more time sober... you'll have less and less thoughts about drinking or using... in regards to "desiring to do it."

Who knows if they will be gone forever? All we have is the now. The "this moment." I don't have "one day at a time"... I have one heart beat at a time. I have one breath at a time. I have one moment at a time. And, the only thing that is important is "the right now."

If I take care of "the right now"... that's all that I can really do. And, if I do that well -- even though yesterday is history, and tomorrow is a mystery... my "right nows" of tomorrow... will at least be as good as my "right nows" today.

Dallas

[Ranman99]

Yup

[GeoffS]

"We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning. A much more important demonstration of our principles lies before us in our respective homes, occupation and affairs." Alcoholics Anonymous p.18


Here are the 12 promises from the Big Book of alcoholics anonymous, around step 9. It doesn't mention the desire to drink being lifted directly, but if you have all these things would you want to drink? (they are not set out like this in the BB)


If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through.

(1) We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.

(2) We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.

(3) We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.

(4) No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.

(5) That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.

(6) We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.

(7) Self-seeking will slip away.

( Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.

(9) Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.

(10) We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

(11) We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

(12) Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

[DiggerinVA]

[DiggerinVA]

Sorry Double Post

[Ranman99]

Ya page 85 the problem has been removed. Sure do like that. Sure as heck can't get cocky about it though